Dave Yurkowski

Student researcher learns virtue of patience during Arctic field work

Dave Yurkowski learned a great deal about Arctic ecology during his two week journey to the Canadian north this summer to study how climate change affects the behaviour of ringed seals. He also learned a lot about what’s commonly referred to as one of life’s most important virtues.

“You do have to be really patient,” the master’s student said of the time he had spend waiting for a seal to be caught in the nets he helped set. “You can be sitting there for hours. But that’s just part of field work. Once the seal gets caught in the net – that’s when the action starts.”